U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel had agreed to an “initial retreat line” inside Gaza, raising hopes for a ceasefire. But even as he pressed for an immediate halt to hostilities, at least 36 Palestinians were killed on Saturday in Israeli airstrikes across the devastated enclave. Hamas, meanwhile, declared it was prepared to release hostages under Trump’s U.S.-backed plan to end the nearly two-year war, as Cairo readies to host high-stakes truce talks next week.
A Withdrawal Map and a Call for Urgency
Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Saturday, saying Israel had consented to a withdrawal line positioned 1.5 to 3.5 kilometers inside Gaza. He published a map marking the proposed zone in yellow, declaring that “once Hamas confirms, the ceasefire will take immediate effect.”
The president added that he believed Israel had already “temporarily paused” its bombing campaign, urging Hamas to act swiftly on the peace plan. “I will not tolerate delays, nor any outcome that allows Gaza to become a threat again,” he wrote. “Let’s finish this quickly. Everyone will be treated fairly.”
Ongoing Strikes and Civilian Losses
Despite Trump’s announcement, Israel carried out airstrikes Saturday, claiming to have targeted a Hamas fighter posing a direct threat to its forces. Palestinian health officials reported dozens of casualties.
The Israeli military issued a statement expressing regret for any harm to civilians, saying it makes “every effort to minimize such incidents.” Hamas, however, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deceiving the public, insisting the “bombings and massacres” contradicted his claims of reduced military operations against civilians.
Hamas’ Position on Trump’s Plan
On Friday, Hamas signaled conditional acceptance of several points in Trump’s 20-part plan, including ending the war, freeing Israeli hostages, and releasing Palestinian prisoners. But the group withheld commitments on key issues—most notably whether it would disarm, a central Israeli demand for ending the conflict.
Trump later reiterated that once Hamas agrees, the ceasefire would begin, prisoner exchanges would follow, and conditions for broader withdrawal could be established.
Next Stop: Cairo
A senior White House official said Trump would dispatch envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Egypt to finalize technical details of a hostage release and discuss longer-term peace arrangements.
Egypt’s foreign ministry confirmed it will host delegations from both Israel and Hamas starting Monday.
Netanyahu said he hopes talks will last only a few days, with the goal of announcing the return of hostages during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot (October 6–13), while keeping Israeli troops deployed deep inside Gaza.
In a second phase of Trump’s plan, Netanyahu said Hamas must disarm and Gaza be fully demilitarized, whether through political or military means. The proposal envisions an eventual Israeli withdrawal to the border, though no timeline has been defined.
